The partnership with the Rebuild Foundation included collecting stories in the Dorchester neighborhood on the South Side, which lead to the commissioning of two Chicago composers, Tomeka Reid and Mikel Patrick Avery, to write new music in response to what neighbors shared. These commissions were performed in the 2016 Festival. Videos of these commissions can be found here.

Below you will find a small selection of these field recordings of memory. More than anything, what the Story Share has come to represent is the power of telling and listening to stories. We hope you enjoy what you hear on this site, and that you will come tell us a story at this year’s Festival.

Want to explore our full archives of South Side jazz stories? Interested in sharing a story? Contact us below!